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Friday, November 30, 2012

This video shows two techniques you might try with pop-up cards. The first is to make a spring-loaded card that opens automatically as soon as the closure is released. The second technique is how to split and move the card folds to allow for two pop-ups inside the card!

The card I make in the video is for my friend and Design Team member Gretchen's birthday earlier this week. Happy Birthday, Gretchen!

I kept the front of the card very simple, with just a square of patterned paper and the closure. The closure itself is explained in the video. The decorative clip is self-adhesive, but I found that the bead closure was pulling the clip off the paper so I shellacked it with Glossy Accents and let it dry overnight. Much better!

Inside the card are two Raising Platforms that pop up in opposite directions. Gretchen's favorite color is green and her favorite crafting color is (pun intended) kraft, so I incorporated both into this card. To decorate the platforms I went diving into my stamp collection for birthday stamps. The fistful of candles is one of my all-time favorite Stamp Oasis stamps, but it is sadly retired.

I had already installed the Raising Platforms in the card before deciding on the "candles" greeting so I didn't want to risk pulling the label off the platform to stamp it. Instead, I stamped the greeting on a transparency and added it with glue that dried relatively clear. The edges of the labels are glittered for some extra sparkle.

I used colored pencils to color everything. The mottling on the balloons is made by layering and blending several layers of colored pencils and then hitting them with an eraser. It takes off some of the layers of pencil and leaves behind an interesting texture.

In keeping with the hand theme, I used a Stampin' Up! hand stamp on the stem of the second platform so it could be holding the balloon strings.

Hopefully these ideas will inspire your own spring-loaded double-pop-up creations! (say that 5 times fast!)

Use a blending tool or stencil brush to rub green ink around the bottoms of the scallops.

Overlap the end section of each cupcake on top of another and double stick tape them together. Repeat for all segments.

Pin one end to the bottom of a 10" STYROFOAM™ cone and start wrapping the long scalloped section around the cone.

Pin in place when the tree is even. Take some Wendy Vecchi Embossing Paste and dab on the tree randomly to look like snow. Add crystal glitter on top of the embossing paste. I also added some spray snow.

Cut four birds from the Birds & Butterflies set out of watercolor paper and ink all with red. Outline with silver pen. Add crinkle wrap to a small grapevine wreath to form a nest. Place nest on top of tree. Lay a toothpick in between layers three and four of the bird and tape into place. Use toothpick to secure bird to top of cone.

If you like this, stop by my blog later this week to see another project in the works... loving trees!

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Hello! Tammy here to share a Pop 'n Cuts card with you that features the sweetest little bluebirds die. The front combines lots of textures and finishes. I think the finished card turned out so pretty. I love the way it turned out. I hope you will enjoy the tutorial showing how I created it.

Cut one card base using the Pop 'n Cuts base die without an insert from natural colored cardstock. Cut the card insert with the Pop 'n Cuts Label magnetic insert from pattern paper (Wayfarer collection by Bazzill.) Fold the insert according to the package instructions. Lay the folded insert on the cardstock outer card, lining up the bottom edges of both. Mark the cardstock at the top of the two arms of the insert. Create a fold line at the pencil marks. One side of the cardstock outer card will be shorter than the other. This shorter side will be the front cover of the card.

Use an opaque marker and a ruler to mark the bottom edge and center of the Brackets Card Front die. I often do this for my On The Edge dies.

I wanted to shorten the front of the card more, so I drew a straight line across the cardstock on the short end of the cardstock. I also marked the center. Place the cardstock on the die matching the straight line and center marks. The excess cardstock can be wrapped around the back of the die to fit through the Big Shot or Vagabond. Use Post-It notes to help hold the cardstock in place for die cutting.

Note: The Card Fronts die has a scoring blade in the top. If you use it as shown it will make a fold line on the card front. This fold line will be obscured by the embossing.

Ink a text stamp (shown Tim Holtz Reflections stamp) with Walnut Stain Distress Ink. Stamp the image on the inside front flap (the one with printing) of a Textured Impressions embossing folder. Stamp the text so that it is right side up starting at the bottom edge of the folder moving towards the center of the folder. Place the card front with the short decorative edge in the folder so that the decorative edge is in the folder right up to the fold of the folder.

After running the folder through a die cutting machine, the design will be embossed with the text printed in the background.

Use an ink blending tool to apply Tumbled Glass Distress Ink to the card front focusing on the outer edges, leaving the center natural. After applying the blue ink, blend on Walnut Stain Distress Ink the the outer edges.

While the ink is still wet, cover the piece with clear embossing powder. Heat the powder with a heat tool.

Use a liquid glue pen to apply glue to the back of the scroll piece to adhere it to the front of the card. Cover a small piece of grunge paper with metal foil tape. Die cut the piece with the Mini Heart Mover & Shaper die. After die cutting the heart, place the heart inside a Textured Impressions folder to add an embossed design to it. Adhere the heart inside the scroll frame with adhesive foam squares.

Use an ink blending tool to apply Walnut Stain Distress ink to the edges of the pattern paper insert and around the edges of the pop up piece.

Place adhesive of the back of the bottom half of the insert.

Adhere the bottom half of the insert to the inside bottom half of the outer card. The fold of the insert should match the fold of the outer card. With the insert folded in half so that the back of the top half is facing up, apply adhesive to the back of the top half of the insert.

Place a piece of metal foil tape on a piece of cardstock that 4 3/4" x 2". Die cut the piece using the bottom edge of the Pop 'n Cuts base die. With the back side of the insert facing up, adhere the foil piece to the bottom edge of the back side of the insert.

Fold the front cover of the card down, pressing it into the adhesive on the back of the top half of the insert. The foil piece will show on the cover below the decorative cut edge.

Die cut two sets of birds and branches from manila cardstock using the Bird & Branches die. Use an ink blending tool to apply Walnut Stain Distress Ink to one of the branches. Use an ink blending tool to apply Peeled Paint Distress Ink to the leaves of the second branch. Cut the leaves off of the green branch and adhere them onto the branch with brown ink.

Tuck some of the branches with leaves behind the heart on the front cover.

Cut the beak off of one of the two sitting birds. Use a Wild Honey Distress Ink Marker to color the bird's beak. Color the body of the beaked bird with an ink blending tool and Tumbled Glass Distress Ink. Use an ink blending tool to apply Tumbled Glass, Wild Honey, and Walnut Stain Distress Inks to the bird without a beak. To add color to just the tip of the wing, slip a scrap of paper under the wing flap with inking. Adhere the bird without a beak to the top of the bird with a beak. Lift up the wing flap. Roll a small adhesive dot in your fingers to create a ball. Place the ball under the wing. Press the wing down onto the glue ball. The ball will keep the wing from lying flat, making it dimensional, and will be less noticeable than an adhesive foam square would be.

On the flying bird, cut off the tip of the wing on one bird. On the second bird, cut off the tail and beak. Snip the connective pieces on the wing so that it will lift up like a flap. Ink the bird pieces and assemble following the instructions for the other bird.

Die cut a decorative label from pattern paper. Adhere the label to the pop up part of the inside of the card. Adhere a branch with leaves over the label. Adhere the sitting bird on the branch. Adhere the flying bird with an adhesive foam square so that he floats out away from the surface.

Lightly draw pencil lines on the lower half of the card insert. Hand write or stamp a sentiment on the lines. Once the ink is dry, gently erase the pencil lines.

I love the quote I added to the inside of my card. I found it while doing an internet search for quotes about happiness. It says:

Happiness always looks small while you hold it in your hands, but let it go and you learn at once how big and precious it is.
-Maxim Gorky